BOYS HOOPS: Splendora big man Wooldridge signs with Hardin-Simmons

By Rob Tate, rtate@hcnonline.com

Updated
5:00 pm CDT, Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Splendora senior center Trey Wooldridge signs to play basketball for Hardin-Simmons beside his parents David and Karen during a signing ceremony at Splendora High School, Wednesday, March 21, 2018, in Splendora. less

Splendora senior center Trey Wooldridge signs to play basketball for Hardin-Simmons beside his parents David and Karen during a signing ceremony at Splendora High School, Wednesday, March 21, 2018, in ... more

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer

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Splendora senior center Trey Wooldridge signs to play basketball for Hardin-Simmons beside his parents David and Karen during a signing ceremony at Splendora High School, Wednesday, March 21, 2018, in Splendora. less

Splendora senior center Trey Wooldridge signs to play basketball for Hardin-Simmons beside his parents David and Karen during a signing ceremony at Splendora High School, Wednesday, March 21, 2018, in ... more

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer

BOYS HOOPS: Splendora big man Wooldridge signs with Hardin-Simmons

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SPLENDORA - At 6-foot-9, it was difficult to miss Trey Wooldridge on the basketball court the past four seasons for the Splendora Wildcats.

And on Wednesday morning, Wooldridge was center of attention one more time in the competition gym at the high school.

The school's all-time leader in blocked shots officially signed his National Letter of Intent with Hardin-Simmons basketball, an NCAA Division III program in Abilene.

Cowboys coach Matt Brackett started showing interest in Wooldridge back in the fall.

"It started out around football season when Coach Brackett contacted me and told me he was interested," Wooldridge said. "We really didn't talk much until basketball season started and it really took off from there. I went and visited the campus in February and I really loved it. I think that's what sold me."

Wooldridge finished his career at Splendora with 1,078 points, 765 rebounds, 103 steals, 110 assists and a record 388 blocked shots. He's coach Jason Vela's fourth player in his 17 years coaching at Splendora to eclipse 1,000 career points.

"He has meant so much to Splendora basketball," Vela said. "It's hard to put it in words. When (Trey's father and Splendora assistant coach) David and Trey arrived here his freshman year, I knew that Trey was going to be special."

Wooldridge came to the school already with the height to make an instant impact. But there was a process of learning how use his body to his best advantage as he got older.

"He really grew into his body," Vela said. "As a freshman, he was really lumbering out there. To see him grow (through the years) was unbelievable. He was able to control his body and by the time he was a junior and senior, he really was a dominate player for us and for our program. He gave other teams tons of problems."

For his senior season, Wooldridge was a first-team District 21-5A selection. He led the Wildcats in points per game (14.2), rebounding (9.3) and blocked shots (4.5). Wooldridge scored a season-high 27 points on Jan. 9 at Caney Creek.

In a win on Dec. 29 over New Waverly, Wooldridge posted season-bests in rebounding with 19 rebounds and blocks with 16. He was two points shy of a triple-double that game.

Three times this season, Wooldridge had 11 or more blocks and six times he had 13 or more rebounds.

"You could see that he was going that he was going to be the big man in the middle for the next four years," Vela said. "He lived up to every bit of that. He's just a tremendous shot blocker and scorer in the post. Great rebounder. He changes the game."

Wooldridge has worked hard to keep improving.

"It was a lot of time in the gym and a lot of working on certain things, watch film and get better at what I need to get better at," he said.

Wooldridge credited Vela for helping him along the way.

"Coach Vela has meant a lot to me," Wooldridge said. "I've known him since I was a little kid and I came out here to Splendora to play for him. It was a great experience. I loved all four years of it."

As impressive as his numbers are, Vela will come away from his time coaching Wooldridge with something even more valuable.

"Not only on this court he was very special, but he's a young man that has community service on his resume," Vela said. "The academic awards that have come his way. He's been the entire package. As a coach, that makes you the most proud to see someone succeed in all those areas."